Provided by the Office of Minority Health Resource Center
May 8, 2012

May is Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month
"Generations of Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders (AAPIs) have helped make America what it is today," President Barack Obama. Read the full Presidential Proclamation here.

More resources include:

Statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius on Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month 2012

The White House Initiative on Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Blog

The Affordable Care Act and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation (ASPE) Research Brief [PDF | 288KB]

The Affordable Care Act and Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders Fact Sheet

National Asian & Pacific Islander HIV/AIDS Awareness Day

The Office of Minority Health Asian American/Pacific Islander Profile

 

Making Progress to Close the Gaps in AAPI Health Care
By Dr. Howard K. Koh, Assistant Secretary for Health
"As a Korean American son of immigrants, I am all too familiar with the barriers AAPIs face in accessing health care for reasons such as poverty, lack of insurance, language barriers and other challenges." Read the rest of the blog here.

 

Just Released: Aprende a vivir, a Diabetes-focused Spanish Videonovela
The Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality (AHRQ) has released Aprende a vivir (Learn to Live), a videonovela to help Spanish-speaking diabetes patients compare their treatment options and find one that is best for them. Learn more
View first two episodes on Healthcare 411 (en Español)
Get the Inside Story at AHRQ Spanish Facebook Page
Read AHRQ's 2011 National Healthcare Disparities Report

Know Your Risk Factors for Heart Attack and Stroke
May is Stroke Awareness Month. If Dr. Amie Hsia, Medical Director of the MedStar Washington Hospital Center Stroke Center, could say just one thing about stroke, it would be that it is preventable and treatable. In this video, she shares some of the common risk factors for stroke and heart attacks and encourages people to learn whether they are at risk. View the video here.
Learn more about Million Hearts

The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) is Seeking Your Feedback on a Pilot Operational Study
HHS has issued a request for information from interested parties regarding the design, logistics and feasibility of a pilot operational study in which men who have sex with men, who meet specified criteria, would be permitted to donate blood, with additional safeguards in place to protect blood recipients during the course of the study.

Older Americans Month
This year's theme "Never Too Old to Play" encourages older Americans to stay active in their own lives and in their communities. Read Statement from Secretary Sebelius on Older Americans Month

Learn about the Affordable Care Act and seniors.
Fact Sheet [PDF | 265KB]
Videos

Asthma Awareness Month
"May is Asthma Awareness Month, a time for us to consider what we can do better, as individuals and as a nation, in managing one of the most common lifelong chronic diseases." Read the full statement by HHS Secretary Kathleen Sebelius here.

National Hepatitis Awareness Month
May is designated as National Hepatitis Awareness Month to help highlight raise awareness about viral hepatitis and chronic infection among those it affects here in America. Learn more on Hepatitis Awareness Month here.

Search OMH Library Catalog Online
OMH has launched a new online catalog search tool. Now you can find books, reports, journals, media, articles, and organizations related to the health status of racial and ethnic minority populations all online. Contact the Knowledge Center for guidance on searching the content. Start searching.

Research Corner: Asian American and Pacific Islanders Health
Autoimmune Pancreatitis in an Asian-dominant American Population. Tran, C. T.; Chan, O. T.; Wong, L. M.; Wong, L. L. Hawai'i Journal of Medicine & Public Health, v. 71, #1 (January), p. 13-18, 2012.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3298434/pdf/hmj7101_0013.pdf [PDF | 1.7MB]
Using Photovoice to Understand Cardiovacular Awareness in Asian Elders. Fitzpatrick, A. L.; Steinman, L. E.; Tu, S. P.; Ly, K. A.; Ton, T. G., et al. Health Promotion Practice, v. 13, #1 (January), p. 48-54, 2012.
http://hpp.sagepub.com/content/13/1/48
Acculturation, Enculturation, Psychological Distress and Help-Seeking Preferences among Asian American College Students. Ruzek, N. A.; Nguyen, D. Q.; Herzog, D. C. Asian American Journal of Psychology, v. 2, #3 (September), p.181-196, 2011.
http://ovidsp.ovid.com/ovidweb.cgi?T=JS&CSC=Y&NEWS=N&PAGE=fulltext&AN=01434890-201109000-00003&LSLINK=80&D=ovft
Asian Americans and Obesity in California: A Protective Effect of Biculturalism. Wang, S.; Quan, J.; Kanaya, A. M.; Fernandez, A. Journal of Immigrant and Minority Health, v. 13, #2 (April), p. 276-283, 2011.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC3056137/pdf/10903_2010_Article_9426.pdf [PDF | 228KB]
Comparison of Disability Rates among Older Adults in Aggregated and Separate Asian American/Pacific Islander Subpopulations. Fuller-Thomson, E.; Brennenstuhl, S.; Hurd, M. American Journal of Public Health, v.101, #1 (January), p. 94-100, 2011.
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2009.176784
Development and Implementation of a Collaborative, Multistakeholder Research and Practice Model on HIV Prevention Targeting Asian/Pacific Islander Men in the United States Who Have Sex with Men. Wong, F. Y.; Crisostomo, V. A.; Bao, D.; Smith, B.D.; Young, D., et al. American Journal of Public Health, v.101, #4 (April), p.623-631, 2011.
http://ajph.aphapublications.org/doi/abs/10.2105/AJPH.2008.154245

Just Released: Eat Healthy * Be Active Community Workshops
Check out the six one-hour workshops, based on the Dietary Guidelines for Americans, 2010 and 2008 Physical Activity Guidelines for Americans, which have just been released. Each workshop includes a lesson plan, learning objectives, talking points, hands-on activities, and handouts. Download the workshops here.

Are Americans Aware of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities?
Only modestly, it seems. Read the article Awareness of Racial and Ethnic Health Disparities Has Improved Only Modestly over a Decade. Study Brief [PDF | 112KB]
2010 General Population [PDF | 257KB]
2009 General Population [PDF | 254KB]

Save the Date: 2012 Summit on the Science of Eliminating Health Disparities
Integrating Science, Policy and Practice
Building a Healthier Society
The 2012 Summit will be held at the Gaylord National Resort and Convention Center, National Harbor, Maryland, from October 31 – November 3, 2012. For more information, please contact 2012summit@mail.nih.gov